TOPIC: Failing PMP exam after PM Precast Simulator?

Planning to attack the prepcast simulator head on. My goal is to go through all 1,800 questions at least once and get a firm understanding on reasoning for correct answer.

Has anyone taken the PM Prep cast simulator scored @ or above 80% and still failed the PMP exam?

Sikander,

While I cannot cite particular cases, I think we can safely assume that this has happened and for any of a variety of reasons. The test simulator is a great tool, and it contributed significantly to my success at passing the PMP. It is not, however, a silver bullet guaranteed to slay the intimidating PMP Werewolf!

Nevertheless, I applaud your plan to utilize the exam simulator in your test preparations. Make sure you take multiple complete tests to simulate the actual test experience and review your results (researching any questions that you got wrong or at which you were "guessing").

Don't worry about how many people fail. Focus instead on what will help you succeed! And you'll do just fine.

Best of luck!

Tracy

Sikander,

If you are consistently scoring above an 80% in the Exam Simulator, you should have no trouble with the real exam. The Exam Simulator is probably the closest simulator to the real test available on the market. Good luck in your studies!

- Steven

Hi Sikander,

One of the best aspects of the Exam simulator is the thoroughness of the answers to every option. If you're scoring consistently above an 80%, and going through ALL the answers to validate your understanding or increase it, you'll do fine. Good luck in your studies!

- Gail

You may not be hearing from anyone who failed. I scored above 80% on every practice exam I took, including this one, and failed the exam. It is not representative of the exam whatsoever. The questions on the actual PMP in 2017 are long paragraphs full of equivocations, and more than half the questions will contain terms nowhere in PMBOK 5th edition. If you passed with those scores, it is not because of your ability on these exams, they have no correlation whatsoever to the actual PMP.

Hi Luke,

I'm sorry to hear that things didn't work out for you on the 1st try.

My experience was that the actual exam questions were very much like the PM Prepcast Exam Simulator - In fact, I think it was the largest factor of success for me (although there were other critical factors as well).

It's true that not everything you need to know is in the PMBOK - that's why PM experience and a supplementary study guide (such as the PM Prepcast or Rita's book) are crucial in being well prepared.

Don't give up! You're not alone and there are many skilled PMs that don't pass on the first try. Use this experience as a springboard for another try!

Best wishes,
Tracy

Hi Luke,

Here, I must somewhat agree with you: The Prepcast is not representative of the exam in the style of its questions in many ways. The questions on the actual PMP in 2017 are indeed complicated sentences full of equivocations, unlike the prepcast questions which in many cases are framed in a very elementary manner.

This is true especially of ITTO questions, which in Prepcast are simple questions such as: Which of the following is not a tool of... In the real exam, tools and techniques are couched in terms of real-world situations that use the tools and techniques, making it a much better test of one's knowledge rather than the rote method often used in Prepcast.